Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1093

Rh imprisoned there until in December, 1864, he was released by order of President Lincoln. After his parole he remained at Washington and subsequently became engaged in practice before the patent office, in which he has continued to the present time with pleasing success.

W. D. McKemy, now a distinguished jurist of Dayton, Ohio, is a native of Virginia and served that State and its cause with unswerving fidelity, in field and camp and prison pen, during the long war of the Confederacy. Born in Rockbridge county, Va., in 1843, he passed there his childhood and youth until, at the age of eighteen years, he enlisted, in August, 1861, in the military service. He became a private in the Twenty-fifth Virginia infantry regiment and served in that command until he fell into the hands of the enemy in 1864. He participated first in the operations in West Virginia, fighting at Cheat Mountain, Allegheny Mountain and McDowell, after which he was overcome with sickness and was not capacitated for service until after six or eight months, spent in hospital. On his recovery he immediately rejoined his command at Gordonsville, Va., in time to take part in the battle of Cedar Mountain, and share in the Maryland campaign, fighting at Harper's Ferry and Sharpsburg. During the Pennsylvania campaign he took part in the encounter at Chambersburg and the famous three days' struggle at Gettysburg, and, in the desperate fighting of 1864, did his duty in the bloody struggles at the Wilderness and Spottsylvania. During the fighting on the latter field, in May, 1864, he was captured by Hancock, with a large part of the division of Gen. Edward Johnson, in which he served. Then began a long and wearisome imprisonment, which was not terminated until June 30, 1865, long after all hostilities had ceased. He was held at Point Lookout, Md., until December, 1864, and the remainder of his confinement was at Elmira, N. Y. Upon his release he returned to his Virginia home, whence, in October, 1866, he removed to Darke county, Ohio. There he attended school and was graduated at the high school, and after supporting himself for some time by teaching school, he removed to Dayton and entered the clerical force at the court house. In this service he remained for several years, two in the office of the probate judge, two in the recorder's office, three as deputy sheriff and three as deputy treasurer of the county of Montgomery, winning the popular favor in each position, and all this time being also engaged in reading law and fitting himself for the profession which he ultimately intended to adopt. In 1878 he was admitted to the bar, and, in the fall of the same year, was nominated for the office of probate judge. Defeated by a small majority at that time, he continued in the law practice and, in 1881, was the successful candidate for the probate judgeship. Subsequently he was twice re-elected, serving upon the bench in all nine years. Since leaving that position he has resumed the practice, in which he has attained high rank. As a gentleman and an influential citizen, he does honor to his martial alma mater, the army of Northern Virginia, which he represents, with others, in that handsome Ohio city.

John McLees, of Williamsburg, a veteran of the Charles City Guard, a gallant organization, which shared the historic career of Pickett's division, army of Northern Virginia, enjoys the distinction of having been the only officer of the company, either